Page 23 of Kiss Me Again

"Okay, okay, I get it; I give up," I yell, but he doesn't stop.

"Take it back," he says, but I know that even if I do, he won't stop tickling me.

"I'm taking them back; I am!" I yell into his face to make him stop, laughing uncontrollably, and he presses his lips to mine for a kiss.

We kiss like that until my stomach growls loudly.

"I ordered your favorite triple latte and two blueberry muffins from Starbucks," he says as he pulls away, looking at me.

"Okay, I take it back: You can make a good breakfast."

He laughs, and we start to get dressed. Well, he just puts on his boxers, and I wear his training T-shirt, which covers my ass but just barely. It’s easy for Ben to lift it and touch my pussy any time he wants.

As we walk into the kitchen, holding hands and smiling at each other, I see Diana sitting at the table, drinking one of our Starbucks coffees. I freeze in place, and I swear my heart literally stops.

"I knew it!" she exclaims the second she sees us. "How could you?"

I open my mouth to respond, but then I realize she's talking to Ben.

"I left you with my best friend, and you took advantage of the situation!" She keeps talking loudly, almost yelling at her brother.

I try to untangle our fingers and pull my hand away so that Di doesn’t get pissed off even more, but Ben doesn't let me, holding my hand firmly in his.

"That's not what it is," Ben says calmly but confidently.

"Oh yeah? So you didn't seduce my best friend right after I told you that she's ready to lose her virginity?" This time Di yells at her brother for real, and I can see that she really is upset.

I open my mouth to tell her I'm still a virgin, but Ben continues, "No, it's not like that."

"Like what? Like you're out of girlfriends, you had to seduce the last girl that was not into you, huh? Is that it?" Di is outraged, and it's the first time in my life I’ve seen her this angry at me.

Well, not at me exactly; mostly Ben, but still, it's my fault too.

"But why does it have to be my friend, Ben? What the hell?" Di paces back and forth like a lion trapped in a cage with no way out. "Just another notch on your headboard? Why?"

"Because I'm fucking in love with her!" Ben yells in response, and Diana jerks to a stop, looking at him in shock.

"You’re what?" she asks, her eyes wide with surprise.

"You’re what?" I repeat, turning my face to look at him. My voice is trembling, and I’m holding my breath.

"I love you, Mia," he says as he finally looks at me. His voice is uneven, too, and it's the first time in my life I can say with confidence that Ben is nervous. "I've always loved you, you know that. We've always been friends"—he swallows, and it's apparent that it's not easy for him to speak—"but it's not like that; it's not like I love you like a friend or a sibling. I am in love with you and have been for a long time."

There’s a long pause as we look at each other. I can feel my legs shaking, and my mind is fuzzy as if I'm sleepy.

"Holly shit." Diana breaks the silence, and we both turn to look at her. She sits down at the table again; this news has hit her the most and shocked her more than me.

"I'm still a virgin, by the way," I tell her. I don't know why I want her to know that; I'm just not used to hiding anything from my best friend.

"You are?" she exclaims with surprise, looking at me, and then her gaze travels to Ben as she continues, "You must've really loved her if you waited that long. Why didn't you tell me then?"

"I wasn't sure myself," he responds immediately as if he knows exactly what she's talking about.

What are they talking about?

"But listening to me and staying away from Mia wasn't the best decision if you wanted to figure out your feelings, you know?" Di shakes her head.

"I know that now," Ben says as if apologizing for something.

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